From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A car bomb is a bomb that is placed in a car or truck and is intended to be exploded while there. This kind of bomb is a favorite instrument of terrorists and assassins because the car bomb acts as its own delivery mechanism and can carry a large amount of explosives without attracting suspicion. Truck bombs are also popular -- trucks can crash through barriers more easily and can hold a great deal more explosives. Motorcycle and even bicycle bombs have also been used.
Terrorists typically employ one or more suicide bombers to ram the car into a building and simultaneously detonate it. In assassination attempts, it is more common for the bomb to be affixed to the underside of the car and then detonated by remote control, by the car's motion, or other means. The bomb explodes as the target approaches or starts the vehicle or, more commonly, after starting into motion and when the target is more likely to be inside. For this reason, guards often check the underside of vehicles with a long mirror mounted on a pole.
Defending against a car bomb involved keeping cars at a distance from buildings and hardening buildings to withstand an explosion.
Mass car bombings (by date)
When
Where
Deaths
Type
December 14 , 2003
Police station, Khaldiyah , Iraq
20
car bomb
November 20 , 2003
British targets, Istanbul , Turkey
32
truck bombs
November 15 , 2003
Two synagogues, Istanbul , Turkey
25
truck bombs
November 12 , 2003
Italian Military HQ in Nasiriyah , Iraq
33
truck bomb
November 8 , 2003
Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
18
truck bomb
October 27 , 2003
Baghdad , Iraq
35
car bombs (4)
August 29 , 2003
Mosque, Najaf , Iraq
85
car bomb
August 25 , 2003
Mumbai , India
52
car bombs (2)
August 19 , 2003
United Nations Headquarters , Baghdad , Iraq
22
truck bomb
August 7 , 2003
Jordanian Embassy, Baghdad , Iraq
19
car bomb
August 5 , 2003
Marriot Hotel , Jakarta , Indonesia
12
car bomb
August 1 , 2003
Mozdok , Russia (near Chechnya )
50
truck bomb
May 12 , 2003
Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
35
car bombs (4)
May 12 , 2003
Znamenskoye , Chechnya
59
truck bomb
February 10 , 2003
Bogota , Colombia
32
car bomb
December 27 , 2002
Government Buildings, Grozny , Chechnya
72
truck bombs
November 28 , 2002
Hotel in Mombasa , Kenya
13
car bomb
October 21 , 2002
Bus near Hadera , Israel
14
car bomb
October 12 , 2002
Bali , Indonesia
202
car bomb
September 5 , 2002
Kabul , Afghanistan
30
car bomb
June 5 , 2002
Megiddo Junction , Israel
17
car bomb
May 8 , 2002
Bus, Karachi , Pakistan
14
car bomb
April 11 , 2002
Synagogue, Djerba , Tunisia
21
truck bomb
April 7 , 2002
Villavicencio , Colombia
12
car bomb
March 21 , 2002
U.S. Embassy, Lima , Peru
9
car bomb
October 1 , 2001
Parliament Building, Srinagar , Kashmir
38
car bomb
June 19 , 2001
Gudermes , Chechnya
12
car bombs (3)
March 5 , 2001
BBC offices, London , Great Britain
0
car bomb
January 26 , 2001
San Sebastian , Spain
1
car bomb
July 3 , 2000
Grozny , Chechnya
25
truck bomb
August 15 , 1998
Omagh , Northern Ireland
29
car bomb
August 7 , 1998
U.S. embassies in Nairobi , Kenya , and Tanzania
224
car bombs (2)
June 25 , 1996
Khobar Towers , Dhahran , Saudi Arabia
19
truck bomb
January 31 , 1996
Central Bank, Colombo , Sri Lanka
90
truck bomb
November 19 , 1995
Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad , Pakistan
15
truck bomb
November 13 , 1995
U.S military headquarters in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
5
car bomb
April 19 , 1995
Federal building , Oklahoma City , United States
168
truck bomb
February 27 , 1995
Zakho , Iraq
76
car bomb
January 30 , 1995
Market, Algiers , Algeria
42
car bomb
July 18 , 1994
Jewish center, Buenos Aires , Argentina
90
car bomb
April 6 , 1994
Bus, Afula , Israel (First suicide bombing in Israel)
8
car bomb
March 12 , 1993
Mumbai , India
257
car bombs
February 26 , 1993
World Trade Center , New York City , United States
6
truck bomb
March 17 , 1992
Israeli Embassy, Buenos Aires , Argentina
32
car bomb
May 12 , 1990
Bogota and Cali , Colombia
39
car bombs (3)
April 14 , 1988
USO Club, Naples , Italy
1
car bomb
July 5 , 1987
Army Camp, Jaffna , Sri Lanka
40
truck bomb
August 19 , 1986
Public square, Tehran , Iran
20
car bomb
March 8 , 1985
Beirut , Lebanon
80
car bomb
September 20 , 1984
U.S. embassy in Beirut , Lebanon
20
car bomb
December 12 , 1983
U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait City , Kuwait
5
car bombs (2)?
November 4 , 1983
Israeli Army Post in Tyre , Lebanon
60
truck bomb
October 23 , 1983
French Paratroop barracks in Beirut , Lebanon
58
truck bomb
October 23 , 1983
U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut , Lebanon
241
truck bomb
May 20 , 1983
Air Force Base in Pretoria , South Africa
20
car bomb
April 18 , 1983
U.S. embassy in Beirut , Lebanon
63
car bomb
May 17 , 1974
Dublin and Monaghan , Northern Ireland
33
car bombs (2)
May 11 , 1972
U.S. Army HQ, Frankfurt , Germany
1
car bomb
March 11 , 1948
Jewish Agency in Jerusalem , Palestine
11
car bomb
Assassinations by car bombings (by date)
When
Where
Target
Type
November 20 , 2003
Istanbul , Turkey
Roger Short , British consul general
Suicide truck bomb
August 29 , 2003
Najaf , Iraq
Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim , Iraqi cleric (with 84 others)
remote
August 19 , 2003
Baghdad , Iraq
Sérgio Vieira de Mello , UN special representative (with 21 others)
Suicide truck bomb
March 5 , 2003
Paris , France
Rene Chalon
ignition-based
May 20 , 2002
Beirut , Lebanon
Mohammed Jihad Ahmed Jibril , son of PFLP-GC leader Ahmed Jibril
unknown
January 24 , 2002
Beirut , Lebanon
Elie Hobeika , Phalangist militia leader
remote
February 22 , 2000
Vitoria , Spain
Fernando Buesa , Basque Socialist Party leader
remote
October 21 , 1999
Ankara , Turkey
Ahmet Taner Kislali , prominent Turkish intellectual
tilt-based
May 16 , 1989
Beirut , Lebanon
Hassan Khaled , Lebanese spiritual leader (with 21 others)
remote
June 28 , 1988
Athens , Greece
William Nordeen , U.S. military attache
remote
September 14 , 1982
Beirut , Lebanon
Bashir Gemayel , Phalangist "president" (and 25 others)
timer
March 30 , 1979
Palace of Westminster , Great Britain
Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Airey Neave
tilt-based
September 21 , 1976
Washington, D.C. , U.S.
Orlando Letelier , Chilean exile
unknown
June 2 , 1976
Phoenix, Arizona , U.S.
Don Bolles , investigative reporter
remote (dynamite )
September 30 , 1974
Buenos Aires , Argentina
Carlos Prats , Former Chilean army commander
December 4 , 1928
Chicago , U.S.
"Dapper" Danny Hogan, mobster
unknown